Oakhurst, California

The Scenic Route Highway 49, also known as the Gold Rush Trail and Gold Chain Highway, is a 300-mile long byway that runs from north to south, beginning in Vinton and ending in Oakhurst. The highway has a rich history dating back to the Gold Rush era and is peppered with historic mining towns that still have their 1850s charm.

Surrounded by the panoramic vistas and silvery gurgling streams of the western Sierra Nevada foothills, the highway passes by several key attractions, including the Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley, once home to the richest hard-rock mine in California; the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (Video) in Coloma; the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines in Jackson; the Angels Camp Museum in Angels Camp; Chili Gulch in Calaveras County; and Chili Gulch in Calaveras County, among others.

Located at the end of the Golden Chain Highway State Route 49 in the beautiful High Sierra foothills, the Golden Chain Theatre is a classic community theater that hosts a variety of performances throughout the year. Dedicated to producing and presenting plays and musicals that keep in line with the traditional Summer Melodrama and Traveling Shows, the Golden Chain Theatre presents a wide variety of quality live entertainment, from historical plays to murder mysteries. The theater houses a saloon with a full-service bar and serves a selection of light fare and snacks which are available before performances and during admission.

42130 CA-41, Oakhurst, CA 93644, Phone: 559-683-7112

The Southgate Brewing Company is a cozy gastropub on Enterprise Drive that serves delicious cuisine and a range of locally produced craft beers in a stylish industrial-chic atmosphere. The brewery produces thoughtfully handcrafted ales and brews in small batches, using the highest quality ingredients to reflect the richness and bounty of the surrounding area. The beer is accompanied by a creative menu of great food with healthy and comfort options such as burgers, fries and prime steaks. The pub’s original dining room features a comfortable wood bar and several tables that can accommodate different sizes of parties and large windows boast beautiful views of Deadwood Mountain. The Southgate Brewing Company is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week and caters for private functions and events.

40233 Enterprise Dr, Oakhurst, CA 93644, Phone: 559-692-2739

Discover Yosemite offers day tours of one of the world’s top national parks. Visited by more than 3.5 million people every year, Yosemite National Park is renowned for its spectacular landscapes and terrain, its giant, ancient sequoia trees, the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome, and the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall known as Tunnel View. Discover Yosemite tours visit these major attractions, including Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, Royal Arches, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Three Brothers, Glacier Point, Leaning Tower, Cathedral Spires, and more. They also provide comfortable air-conditioned transport, delicious meals and snacks, and professional guides who share their knowledge and passion about this national treasure.

Oakhurst, CA 93644, Phone: 559-642-4400

Attractions for Couples

Idle Hour Winery is Oakhurst’s first winery and produces a range of white and red wines from local grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Viognier, Zinfandel, and Touriga Nacional. The wines are produced in small batch lots with sustainably grown grapes, using gravity flow and other traditional methods and can be tasted in the modern tasting room at the winery. Located next to the winery is the Queen’s Inn Wine Bar & Beer Garden, which offers comfortable accommodations, homemade cuisine and a charming wine and beer garden that is open seven days a week where visitors can enjoy more than ninety premium wines from the Idle Hour Winery and a selection of micro-brewed and imported beers from the local South Gate Brewing Company in a relaxed and casual ambiance.

41139 CA-41, Oakhurst, CA 93644, Phone: 559-760-9090

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park in Oakhurst, California is designed to recapture life during the nineteenth century in the Central California mountains and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The people who came to this area did so to build their lives, making a living as merchants and farmers and using the mountains’ natural resources. The museum complex itself is constructed around two restored historic homes dating back to the 1870’s. The Fresno Flats Village and Park is open for self-guided tours from dawn until dusk, and guided building tours and the museum are available as well by appointment.

49777 High School Rd, Oakhurst, CA 93644, 559-683-6570, (website link)

The Little Church on the Hill is a historic church in the Oakhill Cemetery along Highway 41 that has served as the spiritual and social center of the Oakhurst community for decades. First established as a mission in the mining township known as Fresno Flats in 1886, the church was then built and consecrated as Christ Church in 1894 on Chapel Hill to meet the needs of all denominations in the community, which it did for the next 60 years. Services were discontinued in the early 1950s, and the church fell into disrepair, however, was lovingly restored to its former glory by the community between 1991 and 1995 and is once again open to the public.

Oakhill Cemetery along Highway 41, Oakhurst, CA 93644, Phone: 559-683-6832